Fran Lebowitz Comes to SHU Community Theatre

“Pretend It’s a City” star talks politics, culture and life in New York City

Fran Lebowitz, who is credited as one of the most insightful social commentators to date, was at Sacred Heart University Community Theatre on Oct. 29 to discuss her acerbic views on current events, politics and the media.

Advertised by the theatre as a “cultural satirist and purveyor of urban cool,” Lebowitz had audience members laughing and desperate to ask her questions.

Although she has been a speaker and popular writer for decades, author of Social Studies and Metropolitan Life, she was introduced most recently to new fans through the 2021 Netflix documentary, Pretend It’s a City, directed by Martin Scorsese. Joking as she commented on the seasoned director, Lebowitz said, “He’s really coming up in this business. When we decided to do the show, I thought ‘sure, let me give the kid a chance.’”

The evening began with a conversation moderated by Davis Dunavin, a reporter with WSHU Public Radio who has covered everything from science and business to arts and culture. Their discussion centered around Lebowitz’s childhood in Morristown, NJ, and her move to New York City in the ’70s. According to Lebowitz, moving was the only thing on her mind as a child and was the best thing she ever did. “If your only goal as a kid is to move from one place to another, that’s perfect! Just get on a bus and there you go; everything you’ve set out to do is done already,” Lebowitz said.

Lebowitz, dressed in her uniform of straight-legged denim and an oversized blazer, soon moved to the podium, where she stood centered in a spotlight to answer questions from an eager audience. She shouted her opinion on the presidency, admitted her confusion on the repairing of the subway system, looked back fondly on Studio 54 and laughed at the attention paid by New York to the size of sodas.

Each answer was decisive, despite almost always leading into several semi-related tangents. One front-row theatre member asked Lebowitz if she ever thought about asking questions instead of answering them, which she answered with a swift “no.”

Located in the heart of downtown Fairfield, the Sacred Heart University Community Theatre offers live concerts, theatrical performances, film screenings, author talks and hands-on learning activities. To purchase tickets for future shows and events, go to SHU Community Theatre’s website.